THE Civil Aviation Administration of China (CC) announced that it will end passenger-to-cargo flights and that cabins will now be limited to carrying Covid cargo, reports Buenos Aires's Aviacionline.
Market insiders forecast that the new regulations will further reduce capacity by pushing up already high international air cargo rates, said the report.
The Chinese regulator announced that from January 1, passenger cabins will only be allowed to carry items that are used ?to fight the pandemic,? without specifying further, said the report.
The new regulation will also prohibit the removal of cabin seats to increase cargo space. Since the passenger cabin floor is not designed to support the forces of cargo transportation in the same way as the hold, it is generally used for low-density cargo such as face masks, protective gear, or e-commerce products.
Beijing's Global Times noted that the new measures only apply, for the time being, to Chinese domestic airlines. Foreign airlines have not yet received any guidelines.
The CC says the implementation of the new regulations is mainly due to safety considerations, with the risk of fire being of particular concern. Modern aircraft have advanced fire detection and suppression systems installed in the cargo hold, something that passenger cabins do not have. As a result, items carried in the cabin usually need to be supervised by crew members.
Routes between Hong Kong and North America, Hong Kong and Europe, and Frankfurt and North America have seen cargo rates rise 106.9 per cent, 65.4 per cent and 90.6 per cent against rates set in 2019.
China Southern Airlines noted that the price per kilogramme from Guangzhou in southern China to Los Angeles was US$15.2, much higher than before the Covid scare.
Customers of major airlines operating in China say that since August many airlines have engaged in unfair practices in an attempt to increase their fares by as much as five times. While forwarders acknowledge that price increases and additional surcharges are reasonable in the current market, they remain far less supportive of certain practices carried out by carriers.
Airlines are delaying flights, they say because rates change week. 'Some carriers cancel a flight that was to take place on a weekend and put it in its place on a Tuesday, updating the price to that week's rates,' said Christos Spyrou, founder of Neutral Air Partner.
'This is not a normal price increase but a hidden price increase,' he said.
While the executive did not mention airlines, in particular, he noted that this practice is normal among Middle Eastern and Asian carriers.
SeaNews Turkey
Market insiders forecast that the new regulations will further reduce capacity by pushing up already high international air cargo rates, said the report.
The Chinese regulator announced that from January 1, passenger cabins will only be allowed to carry items that are used ?to fight the pandemic,? without specifying further, said the report.
The new regulation will also prohibit the removal of cabin seats to increase cargo space. Since the passenger cabin floor is not designed to support the forces of cargo transportation in the same way as the hold, it is generally used for low-density cargo such as face masks, protective gear, or e-commerce products.
Beijing's Global Times noted that the new measures only apply, for the time being, to Chinese domestic airlines. Foreign airlines have not yet received any guidelines.
The CC says the implementation of the new regulations is mainly due to safety considerations, with the risk of fire being of particular concern. Modern aircraft have advanced fire detection and suppression systems installed in the cargo hold, something that passenger cabins do not have. As a result, items carried in the cabin usually need to be supervised by crew members.
Routes between Hong Kong and North America, Hong Kong and Europe, and Frankfurt and North America have seen cargo rates rise 106.9 per cent, 65.4 per cent and 90.6 per cent against rates set in 2019.
China Southern Airlines noted that the price per kilogramme from Guangzhou in southern China to Los Angeles was US$15.2, much higher than before the Covid scare.
Customers of major airlines operating in China say that since August many airlines have engaged in unfair practices in an attempt to increase their fares by as much as five times. While forwarders acknowledge that price increases and additional surcharges are reasonable in the current market, they remain far less supportive of certain practices carried out by carriers.
Airlines are delaying flights, they say because rates change week. 'Some carriers cancel a flight that was to take place on a weekend and put it in its place on a Tuesday, updating the price to that week's rates,' said Christos Spyrou, founder of Neutral Air Partner.
'This is not a normal price increase but a hidden price increase,' he said.
While the executive did not mention airlines, in particular, he noted that this practice is normal among Middle Eastern and Asian carriers.
SeaNews Turkey